With the medium forces, the Bundeswehr closes the gap between light and heavy forces. They are intended to combine rapid deployability with striking power.
In Lithuania, the Army has proven that it can cover the entire range of land operations, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) proclaims. The Light Forces excel in this respect thanks to their cold-start capability. They had demonstrated this during the evacuation operations in Sudan. Less than 14 hours after activation, the forces were in Jordan and able to carry out evacuations. The heavy forces, on the other hand, demonstrated their capabilities during the NATO exercise in Sardinia.
Despite this positive balance, Pistorius points to the ongoing restructuring measures in the Army. In addition to heavy and light forces, the medium forces are to complement the Bundeswehr. These combine the cold-start capability of the light forces with increased striking power. In addition, they are to be independently mobile. The basis of this mobility is the Boxer. This also includes the heavy weapons carrier. From 2025, the vehicle will ensure the standoff capability of the medium forces. Nevertheless, the soldiers are already training as if the heavy weapon carrier were available. When the device arrives in the armed forces in 2025, they will already be ideally prepared in this way.
Jonas Brandstetter, editorial staff
